This high-intensity battle was of immense significance in refining Dick’s newly developed 'Flame Blade,' especially since his opponent was a formidable warrior. Such head-on confrontations were perfect for honing battle techniques.
"If I advance to a third-level warrior, would I still lose to you?" Zhao Wanying seemed a little disheartened.
"Really? Zhao Wanying, you're that young and already on the verge of becoming a third-level warrior?" Dick looked at her in surprise.
"Is it that surprising? I'm only two years younger than my sixth brother," Zhao Wanying replied, referring to how Zhao Haibin had advanced to a third-level warrior two years ago.
"I'm the unlucky one. With the worst talent, no one cares about me," Zhao Dayong said, his face full of gloom.
After a fierce fight with Zhao Haibin, Dick took a brief rest and then sparred with the siblings before walking away cheerfully with his six thousand silver coins.
"Annie, judging by Zhao Haibin's attitude, he doesn't seem inclined to cause trouble for you on behalf of Allen," Dick speculated. Given Zhao Haibin's pride and disdain for lying, at least in this matter, Dick trusted his judgment.
"That's fine. As I said, among the nobles, the Zhao family isn't the worst. Sure, there are black sheep in the family, but you've been lucky enough not to run into them yet," Annie added. She had also witnessed the battle and heard Zhao Haibin’s words. As one of the leading figures among the younger generation of the Zhao family, Zhao Haibin clearly had no respect for Allen. After all, Allen was nearly thirty, with no hope of advancing to a third-level mage, and his time at the academy was likely coming to an end.
"Dick! Dick!" A plump figure came rushing towards them.
"Damn! Harvey, did you advance to a second-level mage?" Dick felt an odd sense of warmth seeing the familiar rotund figure.
"Yes! Yes! Am I amazing or what? I'm now officially a second-level mage! Haha!" Harvey's elation at breaking through such a challenging bottleneck was evident. The fact that he had rushed over to share his joy with Dick showed how much he valued their friendship.
"Let’s go celebrate, my treat—magical feast for a second-level mage!"
"No way! How could I let you spend money? That would be an insult to me! I'm rich, let me handle this!" Harvey was genuinely thrilled. Advancing to a second-level mage meant he could stay at the academy at least until he turned thirty. "By the way, who is this beautiful lady?"
That familiar lustful glint in Harvey’s eyes appeared the moment he laid eyes on Annie.
Though slightly on the slender side, Annie’s beauty was undeniable. Standing over 1.75 meters tall at eighteen, her figure was accentuated by a smooth, shimmering purple mage robe, hugging her graceful curves. Her long, silky hair cascaded like a waterfall over her delicate back and round shoulders, while her fair, slender arms gleamed like jade. Annie’s exquisite features, framed by elegant eyebrows and eyes that sparkled like black gems, exuded a soft allure. Her rosy lips were so captivating that it was no wonder commoner-born Jenny had so many noble suitors.
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"Stay calm, Harvey. Have some restraint!" Dick grumbled.
"Good evening, madam. I am Harvey, a friend of Dick’s. It would be my great honor to invite you to dinner." Harvey quickly adopted a more gentlemanly demeanor.
With Dick present, Annie wasn’t worried about Harvey’s advances. A free magical feast was not something she would turn down either. Strangely, she always felt safe when Dick was around—an inexplicable intuition only a woman could have.
"Harvey, did you venture into the Magical Beast Mountain Range for training?"
"Yes, my third uncle was with me, along with a few second-level knight attendants taking turns guarding me."
That seemed like a sensible arrangement. After all, relying solely on Harvey to fend off a first-level magical beast would have been quite risky. Having a second-level knight attendant as a shield allowed Harvey the opportunity to fight without much danger.
Listening to Harvey’s tales of adventure in the mountains, Dick was surprised to find that the usually pampered Harvey had shown some true grit. Three of the second-level knight attendants were seriously injured, and one even died. Harvey himself had his leg, chest, and arm bones broken by a magical beast. Fortunately, the magical healing potions in this world were powerful enough that as long as help arrived in time, even broken bones were quickly mended.
No matter the risks, Harvey’s breakthrough was a success, and that was cause for celebration.
"Any news from Li Cong or Alina?"
"We’ve all been busy with our own training. I thought they would have broken through to the second-level by now and come to the second-tier caves," Harvey said. The cave districts were divided between second-level and third-level mages, with third-level mage caves being elsewhere.
Breakthroughs can be unpredictable. Hopefully, Li Cong and Alina would have some good fortune soon. After all, in this world, forging true friendships wasn't easy, and the bonds formed in childhood were often the most trustworthy.
"And Angel? Hasn’t she already advanced to a second-level mage?" Harvey asked.
"People say we've cleared our debts, so it wouldn’t be right for me to seek her out. Her elders said it would disrupt her mindset." Dick shook his head. "It’s strange though, isn’t it? How could simply having a friend mess with one’s mind? Mages can’t stay isolated forever, right?"
"Who knows? Angel has always been cold. Plus, she practices ice magic, so maybe that affects her personality."
"Who’s Angel?" Annie suddenly asked.
"Harvey’s former dream girl," Dick chuckled.
"That was in the past! My new dream girl is Basha, whom I met in the Magical Beast Forest. She’s a senior at the academy, and so pure..." Harvey trailed off dreamily.
This guy falls for every girl he meets, even Annie looked at him with disdain.
Still, Harvey was generous, paying for the magical feast without batting an eye.
Having just advanced to a second-level mage, Harvey needed time to stabilize his cultivation and learn new second-level spells. Dick offered him some pointers before Harvey went into seclusion.
Thanks to the steady income from sparring, Dick was able to invest in using a magical array to enhance his magical power. The dense, harmonious dual-element magic within the array made it an ideal place for any mage to train. Then, retreating to his jade pendant space, his training in magic became even more effective.
With water-element magic enhancing his ‘Flame Blade,’ his mastery grew by the day, and the integration of this technique with his ‘Firecloud Steps’ became more seamless. As a second-level warrior, Dick found that his endurance in battle far exceeded that of a first-level warrior.
"Dick, Dick! My sister is back and brought some meat from a third-level magical beast—lucky you!" Annie breezed into Dick’s cave as if it were her own home. Even though Anna had advanced to a third-level mage and had her own place in the third-tier district, she still enjoyed hanging out here.
"You’re the best, Annie! Always thinking of me!"
"Pervert! Put some clothes on!"
"Have you ever seen a warrior train without stripping down? Besides, what’s the big deal between us? Consider it a privilege to catch a glimpse of my muscles. Impressed yet?" Dick smirked, playfully flexing his muscles.
"Get to work, you rogue! Prepare the meat for grilling!" Annie swatted away Dick’s wandering hands. After months of getting used to his teasing, she had, somewhat reluctantly, grown accustomed to his antics.